Susan would not let me return to San Antonio without taking me to the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market in Orleans only about a fifteen minute drive from my hotel in French Lick. I gladly accepted Susan’s invitation knowing I’d be in good hands and in for a special treat.

As soon as I said yes, Susan went to work planning our itinerary and seeing how much she could squeeze into our day. The only challenge was getting me back to my hotel by 3:30 p.m. to catch the limo ride to the Louisville airport.

I knew Susan would show me a grand time and share some of her favorite places that a visitor could never find on their own and only a local would know about.

Susan gave me strict orders t be downstairs, dressed and ready to head out by 8:30 a.m. sharp and she meant 8:30. I was there exactly on time and Susan had already been waiting for me, she was a woman on a mission this Saturday morning.

Driving on narrow country roads cutting through the lush landscape and rolling hills of southern Indiana, Susan prepped me for the farmers market explaining that many Amish folks would be set up selling their homemade baked goods, farm fresh vegetables, and handcrafts. Susan is a no-nonsense gal and laid down the rules, “The Amish will not allow the use of their names or photos in print for religious reasons. They consider it a violation of the graven images commandment. Please make sure no Amish are in photos you post because it would be a real hardship on the adults or parents of the children photographed.” Talk about a quilt trip.

Susan knows a lot about her Amish neighbors and has read extensively about them. She’s read 15 Amish fiction books and knows all about their lifestyle, religion and culture. So I wasn’t going to argue with her and hence, you won’t be seeing any Amish photos. You’ll just have to go to the farmers market and see how much fun it is for yourself.

The market is well organized and run by a group of volunteers. This market serves as a model for other farmers markets. Folks bring their guitars and harmonicas and set up under a tent playing live music. Chefs from area restaurants give cooking demos and tastings using local ingredients bought at the farmers market. Everything for sale has to be either home made or home grown. The prices are very reasonable; here are some sample prices: squash 25 cents each, perfect plump tomatoes $2.00 a pound, gorgeous green beans only $1.00 a pound, $3.00 for a big loaf of homemade wheat bread, $2.00 for two fried peach pies. I bought several aprons and saw some adorable pincushions shaped like jumbo cupcakes and tote bags crocheted out of plastic grocery sacks.

Susan goes to the market nearly every Saturday and likes taking her eleven year old grandson Donnie Rand with her. Donnie enjoys going with grandma because he gets to select a free book from the book mobile, known as the Buck a Book trailer, a portable trailer stocked with books. All the kids get a free book every Saturday. Pretty good idea to encourage the kids to read.

Once we finished our shopping at the farmers market, we hit the road like Thelma and Louise in search of an Amish adventure. Off we went driving through rural Indiana’s densely populated Amish area of Orangeville. Susan pointed out that none of the farms have any electricity and said the Amish were quite resourceful and good farmers. We passed several black buggies along the way as we made our way down winding country roads. Clothes swayed on the clotheslines drying in the gentle summer breeze. I lost count of how many red barns we passed as we were on the lookout for hand painted signs directing us to Amish shops selling jams, cookies, herbal remedies, hand-woven baskets and felt hats.

If you’re craving a more simple lifestyle, even if it’s just for a day, head over to the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market. Spend a Saturday morning with real people, listen to some down home music, and pick up some of the best home baked goods you’ll ever find. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover fresh veggies that don’t taste like cardboard and you might even get lucky and meet Susan.